According to the Safe Drinking Water Act, how is a public water supply system defined?

The definition of a public water supply system according to the Safe Drinking Water Act is any system that serves at least 15 service connections or at least 25 persons for at least 60 days a year. This criterion is crucial as it establishes the minimum size and usage threshold to identify a system as a public water supply entity, ensuring that it meets certain regulatory requirements aimed at protecting public health.

By defining a public water supply system in this manner, the Safe Drinking Water Act seeks to include a wide range of small water systems that serve communities. This means that even small systems that might not supply water year-round or serve a large population can still be subject to regulations that ensure the safety and quality of the water provided.

This definition helps in monitoring and enforcing standards to safeguard drinking water quality, as smaller systems can sometimes lack the infrastructure and resources of larger systems yet still play an essential role in providing safe drinking water to their communities.